The Last Aeronaut
by GrumpyCat503
Summary: My response to the Zutara Week 2017 prompt "Steam" turned fantastical. Miss Katara South is a stubborn young doctor and investigator from a small town who moves to the industrious Republic City to live with her brother and his fiancée. There, she becomes part of a case involving a missing aeronaut and experiences her debut in high society. Steampunk AU.


**Chapter 1: Welcome to Republic City**

 _The Watertown Weekly_

 _Edition: February 21, 1887_

 _Section: Politics_

 _The Consequences of the Regulatory Bending Act_

 _Author: Hakoda South_

" _Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Those are the four bending arts, unique and important to our world's culture since the beginning of history and used for mundane application in our day to day lives. Can bending be dangerous? Yes, potentially, and in the wrong hands. Can it be lethal? Yes, entirely, and completely. But benders should not be deprived of their natural inclinations. Politicians (notably, and with all the respect in the world, Lord Ozai Blackburn) cannot force benders to only use their talents on "lawful, regulated, or emergency circumstances" (source: The Regulatory Bending Act 1889). That would be akin to chopping off a person's hands out of the fear that they could or would strangle you with them. The decision is illogical, unfair, and can result in unforeseen consequences…_

 _Illegal bending rings are just one example. As Watertown's current chief of police, I have looked through countless files and with the help of analysts have already estimated a 20% rise of illegal bending rings in our small town because of Parliament's new law. Since bending will be highly restricted, the clamor and lure to bending rings will only grow, bringing more audiences and contenders who wish to ease the ache to use their abilities. An increase in accidents will be another result of the new act. Because bending will become heavily restricted, many young benders will receive minimal or no training to reign in their powers. If an individual is unable to control their element (especially fire benders) then it is easy for them to hurt themselves as well as others. The act has already caused (and could elevate), the harsh treatments against benders. As a concentrated race, the airbenders/aeronauts are bearing the brunt of the blow, being forced out of their airships by the so called "Trading Protection System" and back to the frigid mountains… Lastly, I would like to project the economic effects of this law: a decrease in trading and an increase in prices…_

 _What our representatives in Republic City fail to realize is that bending is not simply a "hazard," it is a boon from the Spirits which is to be used as humanities' advantage. Our booming industrious world will be unable to function without the four elements. Water is found in medicine and agriculture. Earth is used for construction, the building of cities. Fire is utilized in the hearth and homes and fuel. Air is for travel: the running fleet of aeronauts who transport goods to all locations. By limiting bending, we limit progression, which would cripple the United Republic. Our industrial infrastructure will crumble and fall without the proper means to sustain it…"_

* * *

The train lurched to a stop nearly knocking tea onto the newspaper in Katara's hands. Thank the spirits she had acted quickly, bending it into an amber spiral in the air before forcing it back into the teacup. Katara gave a sigh of relief: her father's article was safe, as was the rest of the political section.

The compartment door opened revealing a rather nervous looking footman of earthen descent. "Are you alright, Miss?" he asked. "We had quite a bit of turbulence on the tracks due to some construction delays."

 _Construction delays? I wonder if that is related with the new legislation…_ "Yes, I'm fine, but I might need help with my things," Katara gave him her most charming smile as she motioned to her luggage in the storage shelf above their heads.

"Yes of course," he reached up for her, giving a small grunt as he lowered the two large bags onto the floor. Katara watched him has he worked, taking note of the oil stain on his pants- indicating clumsiness and perhaps a side job with machinery- as well as the shade of an old woman's lipstick on the side of his cheek- young, lives with mother or a doting grandmother and enjoys her cooking based on his girth…

"What's in these bags?" the footman asked Katara, breaking her observations.

"Dresses, books, laboratory equipment…" she answered nonchalantly.

"Laboratory equipment?" the footman repeated, clearly puzzled.

"Yes, I'm a physician and a forensics specialist."

"Oh." He looked rather shocked. "Well that's… those are quite peculiar occupations for a young woman."

It wasn't the rudest thing Katara had ever heard in response to her "strong-minded" activities. When she had expressed her primary interest in such pursuits, her own Grandfather Pakku along with her father were _very_ reluctant to educate her (she evidently was able to prove herself, with a little help from Gran-Gran of course). In addition, there were people who shunned the South family after learning that they had let their young, sensitive daughter do "scandalous" things that were more suited for a man. Though those past experiences were quite unpleasant, and brought within Katara's heart a throbbing anger, she found the best mode of dealing with such trivial adversities was through an air of indifference and amiability. Which was how she decided to deal with the poor baffled footman.

"I suppose it they are rather rare occupations of a person of my standing," she admitted with a smile. "But that doesn't mean I'm not proficient at them."

"Of course not, Miss. I mean -er- Doctor. Would you like me to carry your bags out of the train?"

"No, thank you," Katara said. "I am perfectly capable of performing the task myself."

The man gave a sigh of relief, "Of course, Doctor. Have a lovely day."

"And you as well." And with that, Katara picked up her bags and left the vicinity.

Walking briskly, she edged her way through the crowd of busy travelers, managing to make her way into the station without anyone stepping on the edge of her petticoat. She let out a gasp of surprise as she examined Republic Station. It was humungous, out of proportion from any building she had seen in Watertown. It could fit a dozen houses inside it. No, it could fit five dozen. The ceilings were high, lined with earthbent steel and glass panels that let in the sun. There was a large, half-finished, clock at the other end of the station that read the time: approximately a quarter past eleven. And there were small shops, vendors, that lined the wall behind the platform, selling food and drink and sweets on sticks.

Katara's belly rumbled.

 _Don't be like Sokka_ , she chided herself.

"Kat!"

Speaking of the devil, there was her brother, along with a pretty auburn-haired earthen woman, pushing through the crowd with his patched-up navy jacket and a ridiculous brotherly grin on his face. Katara met him halfway, dropping her luggage to embrace him in a tight hug.

"You smell like smoke," she said as she let him go.

Sokka grinned, "And you smell like Watertown: salt-water and fish."

She scowled at his jest, giving him a small jap in the arm with her elbow. Then she turned to the young woman who stood next to her brother. "You must be Miss Suki Kyoshi."

"Soon to be Miss Suki South," Suki corrected. "And you must be _Doctor_ Katara South."

Katara lightened up at the use of her proper appellation. "I'm glad you're joining our family," she grinned giving the other young woman a friendly shake of the hand.

"I am too," Suki blushed slightly as she gave Sokka a glance from the side. "Your brother is quite… entertaining."

"That is true," Katara chuckled. "In another life, he would make a good clown."

"He would," Suki laughed in agreement.

Sokka scowled good-naturedly at his fiancée and sister, "I personally think I would make a wonderful strong-man, but I suppose you two would be the most accurate." Then he made a motion towards the outside of the train station. "Now come on. Let's get home. I'm starving!"

"Isn't he always?" Suki whispered jocosely into Katara's ear.

The all laughed together as they walked out into the steam-powered city.

* * *

Sokka owned an automobile, a sort of machine that was a rarity to find back in Watertown. It was new and rickety and shiny and smoky at the same time. Katara acutely professed her worries regarding the safety of the vehicle, but both Suki and Sokka vehemently defended it. Consequently, Katara boarded the wretched thing but still kept her doubts in her mind, tightening her muscles whenever the car went over a bump on the cobblestone street (which happened very frequently).

"It's completely safe," Suki said comfortingly. "Sokka tested itself with the help of Mr. Babbage. It's updated with the newest technology and the finest handiwork ever on a vehicle."

His fiancée's praise seemed to fuel Sokka's blabbermouth. "It's _very_ safe," he repeated his fiancée's sentiments. "It's faster than a carriage too. The only thing I can think of that's than an automobile is a firecycle."

"A _firecycle_?" Maybe this moving metal death-box wasn't as comparatively dangerous…

"It's like a motorcycle but made for firebenders," Sokka explained. "It runs on heat."

"That sounds illegal," Katara said, disgusted.

"Not if you have a permit," Suki pointed out. " _Hathaway_ obviously has one."

"Who's Hathaway?" Katara asked, interested.

"Inspector Zuko Hathaway? He's one of my many customers," Sokka grimaced as the automobile scaled a particularly large bump in the road. "He's with the Republic City Police Department, so you might become acquainted with him in your line of work. Quite the temperamental fellow, but at least he pays us back with coupons to his uncle's tea shop."

"Mr. Iroh makes the most amazing jasmine tea!" Suki grinned. "We'll have to take you there sometime."

Katara nodded, "That would be most enjoyable."

They conversed about trivial topics for the rest of the ride: the best shops to go to, Suki's own thriving fashion business, Sokka's love for meat, and the news stories in the Lady's Tattle-Tale (Sokka was surprisingly well-versed in what was usually deemed as women's gossip). Eventually, the Sokka turned off the engine, letting the car lurch to a stop in front of a series of medium-sized townhouses. He gestured towards the white limestone one to their right.

"334 Hunters' Street," he grinned. "Welcome home."

Katara smiled with a slight amount of apprehension and excitement, as the door to the front opened, revealing a smiling middle-aged woman in a light-green dress, indicating that she was of a proud earthen heritage. "Mr. South, Miss Kyoshi," she gave a polite nod to Sokka and Suki. Then she turned to Katara, "And you must be Miss South."

Katara could barely contain her scowl at the use of her incorrect title. _Doctor. It's Doctor-_

"Oh yeah, Kat," Sokka said. "This is our landlady, Mrs. Joo Lee."

"If you need anything, please alert me, dearie." The woman smiled widely again before her eyes lit up with an idea. "You three must be starving! I'll go make you some tea and biscuits!"

"Oh, uh, thank you Mrs. Lee!" Suki called after the woman.

"She's sweet but a bit… traditional," Sokka informed Katara.

"I didn't notice," she replied with a dry smirk.

And with that, the three young tenants walked up the stairs to enter their home…

* * *

 _And that's Chapter 1! Yeah, it was sort've uneventful. I do try to start most of my stories with a bang but I felt like if I threw any of the planned action in the story, it would feel a little bit crammed. By the way, this is my very belated response to the 2017 Zutara week prompt steam (Get it because it's a Steampunk World? Ha ha.). So eventually, in the classic, slow burn type of way, Zutara will happen in this series (Yes this will be a series. Probably 3-5 stories in it). If you don't like that, don't continue. If you don't like shipping at all, don't worry, it won't overtake the story. My plan for this one is to go under the Adventure and Mystery Genres, so it'll still won't be sappy._ _ **Quickly: a favor from all my readers. I've been really campaigning for a fandom to be put on this site for writing, and I would like you guys to help. It's a book series called Stoker and Holmes by Colleen Gleason, and is a huge inspiration for this story since it's a steampunk mystery series. So please email and request the series to be added! I would love to be able to read people's stories for that fandom as well as eventually write my own someday! To incentivize you to do this, when Stoker and Holmes is posted on, I will write a special short story involving this Steampunk AU which you guys can vote on the theme/ships contained :)**_

 _With lots of thanks,_

 _-Grumpy Cat 503_


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